Emily White
Emily is a screenwriter and playwright. She studied acting at RADA and worked as an actor for many years before switching to writing.
Soon after she began her writing career, she was shortlisted and longlisted for numerous competitions including: Bolton Octagon Top Five Season, Heretic Voices/Arcola monologue competition, 4 Screenwriting, 4Stories, and BBC Drama Room.
She staged rehearsed readings of her plays at RADA festival, won a place on the 2018 Channel 4 Screenwriting course, BBC Writersroom Welsh Voices, and had her play Pavilion was produced at Theatr Clwyd in 2019 directed by Tamara Harvey and published by Faber.
In 2020 she was Theatr Clwyd’s nominated playwright to take part in ETT Nationwide Voices program. She also co-wrote an original television treatment and pilot with Amy Trigg, commissioned by the BBC. And was one of the writers on an award-winning digital theatre project, ’Microplays’ by Open Sky Theatre.
In December 2021 she won the prestigious George Devine Award for most promising playwright for her play Atlantis which was commissioned by Theatr Clwyd, this will be produced in 2025 when the theatre renovation is complete.
In 2022 she wrote an adaptation of Franz Kafka’s The Trial for National Theatre Wales entitled ‘Joseph K and the Cost of Living’ published by Faber. She was also commissioned to write a film for Riot Time Pictures and Ffilm Cymru entitled ‘The Exotic One’ based on the true story of the wrestler Adrian Street.
Soon after she began her writing career, she was shortlisted and longlisted for numerous competitions including: Bolton Octagon Top Five Season, Heretic Voices/Arcola monologue competition, 4 Screenwriting, 4Stories, and BBC Drama Room.
She staged rehearsed readings of her plays at RADA festival, won a place on the 2018 Channel 4 Screenwriting course, BBC Writersroom Welsh Voices, and had her play Pavilion was produced at Theatr Clwyd in 2019 directed by Tamara Harvey and published by Faber.
In 2020 she was Theatr Clwyd’s nominated playwright to take part in ETT Nationwide Voices program. She also co-wrote an original television treatment and pilot with Amy Trigg, commissioned by the BBC. And was one of the writers on an award-winning digital theatre project, ’Microplays’ by Open Sky Theatre.
In December 2021 she won the prestigious George Devine Award for most promising playwright for her play Atlantis which was commissioned by Theatr Clwyd, this will be produced in 2025 when the theatre renovation is complete.
In 2022 she wrote an adaptation of Franz Kafka’s The Trial for National Theatre Wales entitled ‘Joseph K and the Cost of Living’ published by Faber. She was also commissioned to write a film for Riot Time Pictures and Ffilm Cymru entitled ‘The Exotic One’ based on the true story of the wrestler Adrian Street.
London (Greater London)
Jessica Stewart
Independent Talent
jessicastewart@independenttalent.com
0207 636 6565
Independent Talent
jessicastewart@independenttalent.com
0207 636 6565
May 2023 Leader of a writing workshop for The Sherman Theatre
Sept 2022 – Present Writing the film treatment based on the true story of Adrian Street entitled ‘The Exotic One’.
Oct 2022– Feb 2023 Writing an adaptation of Franz Kafka’s The Trial for National Theatre Wales, titled ‘Joseph K and the Cost of Living’.
January 2022 Wrapt Films/Open Sky Theatre digital theatre project, Microplays wins two awards at the Digital Culture Awards.
December 2021 Won the George Devine Award for most promising playwright for my play ‘Atlantis’.
Jan-Dec 2021 Writing the treatment for true crime drama ‘The Clydach Murders’ for Bad Wolf.
Dec 2020 - Present Writing the treatment and pilot for ‘Titch’ television series with my co-writer Amy Trigg for Little Door and the BBC.
October 2020 My microplay ’Homework’ for Wrapt Films/Open Sky Theatre digital theatre project goes live.
Sept 2020 Leader of writing workshops online for Chippy Lane Productions Welsh Female Writers group.
Aug 2020 – June 2021 One of six selected writers for English Touring Theatre’s Nationwide Voices program. Developed and wrote a seed commission play.
March 2020 Won Popelei monologue competition entitled: Women in Lockdown. 25 monologues by 25 writers were filmed and posted online over the course of 5 weeks.
Jan 2020 - present Working on a commission for Theatr Clwyd, ‘Atlantis’ – a climate change play about the first village in Britain to be decommissioned due to sea level rise.
Sept 2019 – Oct 2019 My play Pavilion was produced by Theatr Clwyd in the Anthony Hopkins 500-seater theatre space. Directed by Tamara Harvey and choreographed by Annie-Lunette Deakin-Foster.
Sept 2019 - present Part of a development writer’s room for an original television series at Bad Wolf Productions.
June 2019 Shortlisted for BBC Drama Room competition – last 35 applicants out of 3634 script submissions.
October 2018 – July 2019 Selected to be part of the BBC Wales Writersroom group Welsh Voices. We met once a month for masterclasses and were involved in various writing projects during that time including a monologue for BBC Radio Wales.
July 2019 Shortlisted for Channel 4’s 4Stories competition - last 50 scripts out of over a thousand submissions.
January- June 2018 Developed an original pilot ‘Land of my Fathers’ for Channel 4 on the 4Screenwriting Course.
December 2017 Selected for Channel 4 screenwriting course based on my submission of ‘Pavilion’- I was one of 12 selected writers out of 2040 submissions.
October 2017 ‘A Sitting Tenant’ made it on to a longlist of 100 plays for Heretic Productions/Arcola theatre monologue competition out of 1136 entries.
July 2017 Rehearsed reading of ‘Sea Change’ at RADA Festival.
April 2017 'Pavilion’ rehearsed reading at RADA.
January 2017 My play ‘Pavilion’ made it on to a Longlist of 100 plays for the Bolton Octagon Top Five season out of 838 entries.
December 2016 Shortlisted for Channel 4 screenwriting course based on my submission of my play ‘Sea Change’. I was on a shortlist of 32 scripts out of 1350 submissions.
Sept 2022 – Present Writing the film treatment based on the true story of Adrian Street entitled ‘The Exotic One’.
Oct 2022– Feb 2023 Writing an adaptation of Franz Kafka’s The Trial for National Theatre Wales, titled ‘Joseph K and the Cost of Living’.
January 2022 Wrapt Films/Open Sky Theatre digital theatre project, Microplays wins two awards at the Digital Culture Awards.
December 2021 Won the George Devine Award for most promising playwright for my play ‘Atlantis’.
Jan-Dec 2021 Writing the treatment for true crime drama ‘The Clydach Murders’ for Bad Wolf.
Dec 2020 - Present Writing the treatment and pilot for ‘Titch’ television series with my co-writer Amy Trigg for Little Door and the BBC.
October 2020 My microplay ’Homework’ for Wrapt Films/Open Sky Theatre digital theatre project goes live.
Sept 2020 Leader of writing workshops online for Chippy Lane Productions Welsh Female Writers group.
Aug 2020 – June 2021 One of six selected writers for English Touring Theatre’s Nationwide Voices program. Developed and wrote a seed commission play.
March 2020 Won Popelei monologue competition entitled: Women in Lockdown. 25 monologues by 25 writers were filmed and posted online over the course of 5 weeks.
Jan 2020 - present Working on a commission for Theatr Clwyd, ‘Atlantis’ – a climate change play about the first village in Britain to be decommissioned due to sea level rise.
Sept 2019 – Oct 2019 My play Pavilion was produced by Theatr Clwyd in the Anthony Hopkins 500-seater theatre space. Directed by Tamara Harvey and choreographed by Annie-Lunette Deakin-Foster.
Sept 2019 - present Part of a development writer’s room for an original television series at Bad Wolf Productions.
June 2019 Shortlisted for BBC Drama Room competition – last 35 applicants out of 3634 script submissions.
October 2018 – July 2019 Selected to be part of the BBC Wales Writersroom group Welsh Voices. We met once a month for masterclasses and were involved in various writing projects during that time including a monologue for BBC Radio Wales.
July 2019 Shortlisted for Channel 4’s 4Stories competition - last 50 scripts out of over a thousand submissions.
January- June 2018 Developed an original pilot ‘Land of my Fathers’ for Channel 4 on the 4Screenwriting Course.
December 2017 Selected for Channel 4 screenwriting course based on my submission of ‘Pavilion’- I was one of 12 selected writers out of 2040 submissions.
October 2017 ‘A Sitting Tenant’ made it on to a longlist of 100 plays for Heretic Productions/Arcola theatre monologue competition out of 1136 entries.
July 2017 Rehearsed reading of ‘Sea Change’ at RADA Festival.
April 2017 'Pavilion’ rehearsed reading at RADA.
January 2017 My play ‘Pavilion’ made it on to a Longlist of 100 plays for the Bolton Octagon Top Five season out of 838 entries.
December 2016 Shortlisted for Channel 4 screenwriting course based on my submission of my play ‘Sea Change’. I was on a shortlist of 32 scripts out of 1350 submissions.
Film, Television, Theatre
3
Head in the Clouds Monologue
By Emily White
Cloud is a fifteen-year old Welsh girl.
Cloud When I was born my parents didn’t name me till the last possible moment. I’d like to think that they deliberated over my name for hours; argued over what best suited me because it was so important to them to get it right. But in all likelihood they probably just forgot. Finally forced to make a decision by the hospital they took one look out the window at the sky and called me ‘Cloud’. I never forgave them.
My parents and I live in a grotty farmhouse in the middle of Wales with no electricity, no phone, no internet and an abundance of mice. Since I was about seven I’ve been compiling a list of the things I won’t forgive them for. I’m now fifteen and let me tell you it is fucking long, but I’ll just give you the highlights:
They even have arguments naked – I may well be scarred for life: all that genitalia flopping and flying about. No one should have to witness that. No one.
When I was little I guess I didn’t really question this decision. It’s really hard to win an argument with Dad. His debating style reminds me of our goat Mathilda when she starts head butting you. He repeats his argument louder and louder, and then points out all your personal weaknesses until you cave in just so he’ll leave you alone.
The point is: the resentment’s been building for a while and for the last few weeks I’ve been rehearsing how to be confrontational in the mirror.
Then today I’m called into the kitchen for our weekly house meeting. These are supposed to ensure the house is run democratically, and that we all play our part. But usually consists of dad lecturing us on this or that or informing us both of his latest love affair – you know, so there are no lies between us.
But today the announcement has nothing to do with my parent’s sex life. Today they sit me down, all earnest, and say ‘Cloudy we’ve decided we don’t want you to call us mum and dad anymore, from now on use our real names: Susan and David.’ ‘Why?’ I ask. ‘Because we want you to think of us a human beings, we are your friends not just your parents.’
This was it. This was the moment I had been waiting for ‘Oh yeah? I say, my mouth disappearing into a thin line, ‘And what if I don’t wanna be your friend?’ My parents are dumbfounded. This is going well.
‘It’s our right to be called whatever we want.’ Asserts David.
‘In that case’ I bellow, way louder than anyone expected, including me. ‘I don’t wanna be called Cloud ever again!’ My parent’s face’s drop.
‘But that’s your name.’
‘Not anymore it’s not.’
‘What do you want to be called then?’
I rack my brain and pluck out a name. The most ordinary name I can conjure up unplanned: ‘Janet.’
Susan and David look mortally wounded. They didn’t expect this…I don’t even like the name Janet…but it’s too late to back out now.
‘And I want to go to school.’
David takes a deep breath, readying himself for a rant about bureaucracy and playing into a system that keeps us all enslaved. But I’m on a roll, head butting away just how he taught me.
‘And another thing. This isn’t my first rebellion, oh no! I’ve got news for you, I’ve been sneaking into the bathroom and shaving my armpits in the dead of night!’ Susan gasps. ‘And last week I tried on make-up in Boots and you didn’t even notice!’ Susan starts to cry. ‘Cos guess what David – my pits, my face, my name, my life.’ My father closes his mouth. He looks crestfallen. I’m delighted.
I throw my head back dramatically just like I practised, turn on my heel and stride boldly out of the room into a glorious new future. Single-handedly smashing the patriarchy as I go. That’s right folks, there’s a new sheriff in town and her name is: JANET!
By Emily White
Cloud is a fifteen-year old Welsh girl.
Cloud When I was born my parents didn’t name me till the last possible moment. I’d like to think that they deliberated over my name for hours; argued over what best suited me because it was so important to them to get it right. But in all likelihood they probably just forgot. Finally forced to make a decision by the hospital they took one look out the window at the sky and called me ‘Cloud’. I never forgave them.
My parents and I live in a grotty farmhouse in the middle of Wales with no electricity, no phone, no internet and an abundance of mice. Since I was about seven I’ve been compiling a list of the things I won’t forgive them for. I’m now fifteen and let me tell you it is fucking long, but I’ll just give you the highlights:
- Already covered: my name, my house, my parent’s complete rejection of the outside world.
- After my name, their next unforgivable act was the time they gave us matching mullet haircuts. This was when I first realised they must have made a pact to embarrass me as much as humanly possible. They drove into town and dropped me off at the park to play. Child abuse, I know. The only reason I survived is cos I’m fiercer and stronger than just about any boy when I’m angry. If they knew I chopped wood and wrestled livestock on a weekly basis they wouldn’t even bother. I loves rubbing their faces in the dirt.
- There has never been any mystery to the human form in our house: they walk around naked at every opportunity. Come down for breakfast: there’s a penis. Come home with friends: there’s a pair of tits. When I ask them to ‘please put some clothes on!’ I get the lecture: ‘Nudity is not abnormal. We all have a naked body under our clothes.’ I mean that may be true but I could do without the pubes in my porridge every morning.
They even have arguments naked – I may well be scarred for life: all that genitalia flopping and flying about. No one should have to witness that. No one.
- The biggie: they don’t educate me. Not only do I not go to the comprehensive in town, I’m not taught at home either. I know what you’re thinking – most kids would murder their grandmother to not have to go to school - but it keeps me awake at night…I’m starting to wonder what will happen to me...I mean I read whatever I can get my hands on and I write…but no exams, no qualifications…no contacts. Will I be trapped here forever?! Is that, in fact, the grand plan?!
When I was little I guess I didn’t really question this decision. It’s really hard to win an argument with Dad. His debating style reminds me of our goat Mathilda when she starts head butting you. He repeats his argument louder and louder, and then points out all your personal weaknesses until you cave in just so he’ll leave you alone.
- …Well you get the picture.
The point is: the resentment’s been building for a while and for the last few weeks I’ve been rehearsing how to be confrontational in the mirror.
Then today I’m called into the kitchen for our weekly house meeting. These are supposed to ensure the house is run democratically, and that we all play our part. But usually consists of dad lecturing us on this or that or informing us both of his latest love affair – you know, so there are no lies between us.
But today the announcement has nothing to do with my parent’s sex life. Today they sit me down, all earnest, and say ‘Cloudy we’ve decided we don’t want you to call us mum and dad anymore, from now on use our real names: Susan and David.’ ‘Why?’ I ask. ‘Because we want you to think of us a human beings, we are your friends not just your parents.’
This was it. This was the moment I had been waiting for ‘Oh yeah? I say, my mouth disappearing into a thin line, ‘And what if I don’t wanna be your friend?’ My parents are dumbfounded. This is going well.
‘It’s our right to be called whatever we want.’ Asserts David.
‘In that case’ I bellow, way louder than anyone expected, including me. ‘I don’t wanna be called Cloud ever again!’ My parent’s face’s drop.
‘But that’s your name.’
‘Not anymore it’s not.’
‘What do you want to be called then?’
I rack my brain and pluck out a name. The most ordinary name I can conjure up unplanned: ‘Janet.’
Susan and David look mortally wounded. They didn’t expect this…I don’t even like the name Janet…but it’s too late to back out now.
‘And I want to go to school.’
David takes a deep breath, readying himself for a rant about bureaucracy and playing into a system that keeps us all enslaved. But I’m on a roll, head butting away just how he taught me.
‘And another thing. This isn’t my first rebellion, oh no! I’ve got news for you, I’ve been sneaking into the bathroom and shaving my armpits in the dead of night!’ Susan gasps. ‘And last week I tried on make-up in Boots and you didn’t even notice!’ Susan starts to cry. ‘Cos guess what David – my pits, my face, my name, my life.’ My father closes his mouth. He looks crestfallen. I’m delighted.
I throw my head back dramatically just like I practised, turn on my heel and stride boldly out of the room into a glorious new future. Single-handedly smashing the patriarchy as I go. That’s right folks, there’s a new sheriff in town and her name is: JANET!